


no one is as lucky as us

by theriveroflight



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Banter, Coffee, Fluff, Food, Gen, Ice Cream, Ladynoir | Adrien Agreste as Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng as Ladybug, Light Angst, Platonic Female/Male Relationships
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-13
Updated: 2021-03-13
Packaged: 2021-03-20 18:40:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,118
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30009219
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/theriveroflight/pseuds/theriveroflight
Summary: He isn't often the one showing Ladybug new things.
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir & Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug
Comments: 6
Kudos: 25





	no one is as lucky as us

**Author's Note:**

  * For [sagansjagger](https://archiveofourown.org/users/sagansjagger/gifts).



> Happy birthday Cass!
> 
> An old prompt fulfillment:  
> Chat brings a pumpkin spice latte to patrol one day and Ladybug teases him for being a hipster. He's affronted when Ladybug says she only drinks instant coffee, and vows to show her the best coffee has to offer.
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't drink coffee! I do like coffee ice cream, though.
> 
> Oh, and title from Paramore's "Where the Lines Overlap".

He’s tired.

That isn’t a surprise, all things considered. A late night of playing UMS last night led into an early photoshoot led into a couple tests at school led into an exhausting fencing practice with Kagami constantly challenging him.

(Not that the challenge wasn’t  _ good,  _ most of the time, but there comes a point where he gets tired, still.)

So, he made sure to stop by a cafe before he left — one of the cafes he frequents when he can as Adrien, with the low-calorie but still  _ amazing  _ coffee.

Pumpkin spice is mostly an American autumn thing, but it’s their coffee of the day, so he orders one. It’s a little less healthy than what he usually gets, but he has plenty of calories to burn. A little splurge here and there isn’t a bad thing.

He makes it to the rendezvous approximately on time, but Ladybug’s already there.

“I’m surprised you aren’t late,” he says.

“I know, it was weird to be the first one here,” she answers. “Seems like you took the long way. Wouldn’t have taken you for someone who hops on bandwagons.”

He looks at the latte in his hand. Right. He started a trend when there was some strategically placed “paparazzi” meant to bring publicity. It was some sort of business deal Adrien didn’t fully understand the scope of.

“I’ve been enjoying this place since before the trend. Not that you’d know that, I usually don’t go while transformed.”

“I’ve never been. I usually just use my parent’s coffee machine. We have a Keurig.”

“Instant coffee?!” He gasps. “Milady, you don’t know  _ true coffee!” _

She shrugs. “It supplies me caffeine, it’s good enough for me. As long as I get energy from it, coffee is good enough. Some days I even do those like, OTC caffeine capsules you put in water.”

“Meanwhile, I am a paragon of taste and style.” He does a flourish. “Milady, mind a tour of the best coffee Paris has to offer?”

“Tall order, all things considered.” She smiles wryly. “Challenge accepted.”

“Shouldn’t be hard, considering most of the stuff you’ve had before is frankly horrible.”

She rolls her eyes. “And I bet that stuff doesn’t do  _ anything  _ for you besides fill you with sugar.”

“And that gives me energy to burn!”

She shrugs. “I suppose. Not as much, though.”

“Certainly more sustainable than  _ drugs.” _

“Glass houses, kitty,” she answers with a smile, pointing at his latte. “Let’s move.”

He nods, and they start their patrol.

* * *

Their next patrol, Chat stops by the cafe again. He makes sure to leave a tip this time, because apparently giving a free coffee or two to a hero of Paris is the  _ least  _ they can do. 

At least they always make Adrien pay.

He makes his way to the rendezvous, making sure to get a mocha for Ladybug. His normal choice is a white chocolate latte, so that’s what he’s taking for tonight, decaf because he’s not tired this time and  _ sometimes  _ he can show restraint. Besides, it’s supposed to be healthier for him or something.

“What’s this?” she asks when he hands her the cup.

“Mocha,” he answers.

“And…what exactly is that?” she asks.

“You don’t know?” He gasps. “Now--”

“I’m  _ kidding,”  _ she stresses, putting her hands up in a gesture of surrender. “I like the mixture of chocolate and coffee — coffee ice cream with chocolate syrup is  _ delicious.” _

“Really?”

“You should try it sometime, maybe we’ll have an ice cream party. Bring the other heroes or something, make a real bash out of it.”

“That sounds amazing, milady.” He sighs; he wants that more than anything, just to be able to hang out with a bunch of his friends and have  _ fun. _

But he doesn’t get that very often.

“Yeah,” she answers with a sigh. “I’ll see what I can do.”

“Wait, really?”

“I want to do that.” Ladybug smiles. “It sounds like fun.”

“You’re just…” He sighs. He doesn’t know how to explain what he thinks of her — it isn’t that she’s all business or anything, just…she doesn’t seem to want to  _ expand  _ outside of the two of them most of the time.

“Just what?” She crosses her arms. “I appreciate our time as a duo a lot, yeah. But I think a party would help both of us relax. You’ve seemed a little stressed out.”

He thinks. “Yeah. I’m just…things are complicated.”

“I get it,” she answers. “I mean, you’re in a relationship, you have a lot going on outside of all this. It’s stressful.”

He nods. “We both have a lot going on. I do think it’ll be useful. How’s the mocha?”

“Excellent.”

“Better than your regular coffee?”

She shrugs. “Hasn’t given me that sweet, sweet rush of energy yet.”

“You’re desensitized,” he flatly answers, crossing his arms.

“Sure, blame it all on that,” she replies with a smile.

“Sure.” He smiles in return, and they begin their patrol.

* * *

She’s late. And the coffee is cooling.

She swings in. “Sorry, I was…held up. Had a date.”

“A date?”

She blushes. “Yeah, it’s…my first time with him, and I’m hopeful.”

“That’s good. I’m glad you’ve found someone who loves you — not that you  _ need  _ someone, but-” She deserves to be loved romantically, and he’s moved on.

“I get it, kitty. Now, what’s today’s new adventure in coffee?” she asks with a wry smile.

“I was thinking that maybe the reason you haven’t admitted defeat yet is because it’s a little outside of your usual taste. From what I know, you like the kind of coffee that shakes your soul. So! Dark roast, black.”

“Ooh.” Ladybug reaches to take the coffee. “Yes, you’re right.”

“Oh? Are you ready to concede defeat?”

“We’ll see.” She takes a sip. “Oh, wow. I definitely feel this coffee in my soul.”

“Good feel or bad feel?”

“Good, I feel  _ great.” _

“Better than that Keurig coffee?”

“Mostly, but almost certainly more expensive.” She frowns. “Rich kid coffee is not for me. I’m not one of those hipsters. And you found it  _ before  _ the Agreste fangirls, you must be even more of one—”

“I’m going to stop you right there, milady. I’m not a hipster, it’s just…healthy.”

“Coffee? Healthy? You drink  _ lattes,  _ for goodness sake!”

“With  _ skim  _ milk,” he answers. They’ve started, kind of, just walking down the street.

“I don’t think that’s enough,” she responds with a snort.

“Besides, I get plenty of exercise; maybe I’m actually not eating  _ enough,”  _ he answers. “I get plenty of food, don’t worry.”

“I…yeah, okay, I’ll take your word for it for now.”

“Let me bring the coffee next time?”

He winces. “No, I’m not taking coffee made from a  _ pod.” _

“It isn’t that bad, Chat! I promise there’s a reason I haven’t conceded yet.”

“Oh, so tonight’s still not enough to convince you? What’s your usual?”

“Cream.”

“...I’ll be sure to remember that.”

* * *

“Didn’t have time to get coffee, want to head to the shop?” he asks.

“Of course we didn’t have time,” she responds. “We just went through an akuma attack, we were both there.”

They’re not in danger of transforming back — they did that before meeting up again.

“No, seriously, to the shop or no?”

“Sure, why not?” she asks with a shrug. “I’ve never been before.”

“Oh, I’ll get to take you somewhere new.” That’s unusual — normally she’s the one showing him around, he knows most of the sights but she knows all the smaller places; being locked away in a mansion for much of his life has been…rather isolating.

“I know, it’ll be novel for both of us,” she answers. “Race you?”

“Do you even know where it is?”

“Of  _ course  _ I do,” she answers. “The address is printed on their cup sleeve.”

“...oh.” He’s tempted to facepalm. “Wait, you know directions based off of an address?”

“I have a sense of direction,” she answers. “And I spent a lot of time walking around the city with friends, and then after I got to know the city from above. I’ve passed it before, but never really stopped in.”

“Oh, Ladybug, you’re going to love this. It’s on!”

She swings off as he vaults upwards to spin towards the shop.

“How did you beat me?” he asks as he pants.

“Oh. Yeah.”

The line stretches out the door, the cafe packed.

“It’s a lot busier than I thought,” she remarks. “How do you always get to patrol early when you stop here?”

“Oh, I can cut the line, I have the membership.”

“...wow.”

He shrugs. “What can I say, I like my coffee. And I hate all the fans clogging up this place, the newfound popularity means that it’s so hard to find some peace and quiet. It was just a tiny hole-in-the-wall place before, and now it’s grown so much.”

“Isn’t that good for them?”

“I guess part of the charm is that no one knew who they were. Though it was really only a matter of time.” There are lots of cafes in Paris, and he knows the only reason this one is so popular is because of him.

They wait in the line, though several people notice and let them cut in front, because if Ladybug and Chat Noir need coffee, they should get it ASAP and get back to the city. Or something, he doesn’t quite understand the logic.

Still, there are some people, and they still have to wait in line a little ways. Neither mind, though, content to just chat about whatever comes to their mind. It’s relieving, to know that their banter is undisturbed by the fact that there isn’t romance involved anymore. In fact, he doesn’t even know why he ever tried to pursue her romantically when their friendship is just so  _ great  _ as it is.

Ladybug places her order, and he places his.

“You know,” she says as she sips her coffee and looks out at the crowd, “I think I finally get it.”

“What do you mean?”

“Why you like this place so much.”

“What is it, then?”

“They give you what you want, and you don’t have to worry about coffee settling to the bottom or not enough cream or anything else. Just…they give it to you how you want it.”

He nods.

“But I think the reason I’m not really a fan is because I’m more of a hands-on person. If we had a better coffee machine at home that let me do more of the work, then I’d love that. But I like being able to make my own stuff, knowing that I was the one responsible for what I’m drinking.”

“Ohhhhh.” He gets it now. “Miraculous of Creation, huh?”

“Also the daughter of cooks,” she answers with a smile. “So, it’s been instilled in me for a long time now.”

He nods. “I get it now.”

“I thought it would be harder to help you understand.”

“No, I think…if I weren’t such a disaster, I’d like to make my own stuff. The Internet isn’t a good teacher, though.”

“Then how about me?” she says. “I can help. Or something, I don’t know how we’ll put it off. Maybe texting or phone call?” 

He shrugs. “We can work out that part later.”

She nods and takes another sip.

* * *

“I brought you something this time,” she says. Ladybug has a tub of coffee ice cream, a box of plastic spoons, a small container of chocolate syrup, and some disposable paper bowls.

Oh. What she mentioned when the mocha came up.

They’re on a bench, so…

“I guess this is our dessert?” he asks with a smile.

“Yeah.”

“I brought tea this time,” he says.

“Oh, don’t get me started, at least it isn’t decaf.”

“I don’t mind decaf, once in a while.”

“What’s the point of  _ coffee  _ if you don’t get any energy from it?” she demands, but she looks like she’s on the verge of laughing, and they both break into laughter.

“I just like the taste?” He shrugs. “But um. Ice cream, sure. And what about that party?”

“Everyone has their Miraculous. When are you free?” she asks. “Plan will be put in once I know.”

“Um. I’ll check my calendar and text you?” he asks. “And then we’ll be able to have a party.” He hugs her. “It’ll be my…second real one, I think. They’ve all gotten interrupted by akumas quickly.”

“Well, we won’t have to worry about that.” Ladybug smiles, setting the supplies down before hugging him. “There’s enough of us to quickly take down  _ anything  _ he throws at us.”

“Yeah, I know. It’s going to be great.”

“It will be,” she says. “That’s a promise.”

**Author's Note:**

> Chat loved the ice cream. :P


End file.
